


Rey’s December Bucket List

by Azuwrite



Series: December prompts [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, F/M, M/M, Rating May Change, ben solo hates christmas, but he’ll Christmas for rey, december bucket list, evil snowman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite
Summary: Recently dumped, Rey doesn’t know who to spend the holidays with. She created a list of things to do throughout the month, things that any average person has done numerous times in their life, but not Rey. Who could help her check off those boxes? Enter totally smitten Ben Solo the Holiday Grinch.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: December prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559104
Comments: 44
Kudos: 104





	1. Dec 2

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elle_reads](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle_reads/gifts), [fettuccine_alfreylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fettuccine_alfreylo/gifts).



> Based on the prompt offered by elle_vee from the @reylo_prompts twitter page: “having never had someone to spend the holidays with, Rey makes a giant list of all the seasonal things she wants to do with her boyfriend. When her boyfriend dumps her at the beginning of December, her friend Ben offers to go through the list with her.” Fettuccine_alfreylo also offered: “Ben being a total grinch, but reluctantly agrees to all these activities because it makes Rey happy.” I hope you both enjoy this! It’ll have multiple chapter of fluffiness 💕

[ ](https://ibb.co/djfwsM0)

**  
Dec 2nd**

When the steel doors of the elevator groaned open, there was silence.  _ Suspicious _ , Ben thought as his eyes wandered curiously around the usually hectic space. Just like many of the floors in the building, the floor he worked on was always loud, busy, with workers frantically shuffling about. Not today. 

Everyone moved sluggishly, yet the air remained somewhat tense, butterfly-soft whispers and hushes the only sound besides the slow clacking of keyboards and carefully taken footsteps. 

Arriving at his desk, Ben slowly placed his book bag on the floor as Mitaka strolled by, an ever-present and dorky grin on his cheery face. If he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t remember a time when the man  _ didn’t  _ wear a shit-eating smile. 

“Morning Ben!” Came the daily, overly chipper, morning greeting. 

_ Ugh. Morning people.  _

“Good morning Mitaka.” Looking around one last time, Ben leaned in toward his coworker, keeping his voice quiet as he asked, “What’s going on? Do we have a bigwig in today or something?”

Whispering back, the other man  _ still _ managed to grin obnoxiously, “Oh! I have no idea what’s going on.”

Ben mentally slapped a hand over his own face,  _ of course, Mitaka is always the last person to know anything around here. Why did I even bother asking? _

Giving a forced grin and a curt nod, he urged his clueless coworker to move on, but did Mitaka ever take a hint? No, the answer was no. 

“Did you hear?! Old man Yoda is retiring!” Mitaka announced none too quietly, eyes wide and almost excited, like he was the first to know of such information. 

“Uhhh…” Ben wasn’t sure if he should break the other man’s heart, then quickly decided doing so very well might make his morning. “You know his retirement party was like...three months ago...right?” 

Finally,  _ finally, _ Mitaka’s smile disappeared, a down-turned look of disappointment overtook his face before he began to slump away. “Aw, sugar!” He remarked defeatedly, a sad attempt at voicing his frustrations. 

Ben gave him a comforting pat on the back with a twisted smirk on his mug. Once Mitaka had wandered off, experiencing some kind of crisis within his mind, Ben finally realized what was going on. 

_ Gossip. _ Rolling his eyes, he plunked down into his chair, wondering if he should even bother sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. 

There was always a fair share of drama and gossip that rooted itself within the office, and whether he wanted to take part or not (he really  _ didn’t) _ , he still learned a thing or two. Despite not getting involved with silly rumors, his brow did raise amusedly when he learned of Mitaka’s past in porn work, as well as finding out about Finn Storm and Poe Dameron’s heated make out session at last year’s office Christmas party. 

His rich, honey-brown eyes followed the others, finding that they landed on none other than the object of his affections, Rey. She sagged in her seat, face in her hands, and body trembling slightly. His brows furrowed together. He had never seen her so distraught before...was she... _ crying? _

He didn’t think it possible until now, as Rey rested in a similar category as Mitaka: morning people who had the sun shining from their asses. Rey’s closest friend’s sat at the desks directly in front of his, talking quietly amongst themselves, concerned expressions etched onto their faces. 

As quietly as he could, Ben tried to grab their attention. “Hey, Rose, Finn.”

The duo turned around, rolling their chairs to meet Ben’s desk once they realized who had called their names. Though calling Rey his friend was... _ generous _ ...Ben couldn’t help feeling concerned. They had mutual friends in common and often all got together to do things, but he had never spent one on one time with her outside of the office. 

“What’s up, Solo?” Finn tapped away on his desk, the thud of fingers and palms on thick wood had Ben’s head throbbing. 

He peered over their heads, clearing his throat as his eyes landed on Rey. They followed his gaze, a quiet ‘oh’ leaving Rose’s mouth when she realized he was asking a silent question. 

“We don’t know what’s wrong, she won’t tell us,” Rose admitted with a deep frown, peering over at Finn, who seemed equally as concerned. 

“Wait...she didn’t even tell  _ you _ what was wrong?” Ben asked in shock, eyes roving over Finn’s shrinking frame before receiving a sad nod in response. 

He sunk back into his seat, at a complete loss for words.  _ Rey tells Rose just about everything, and when she doesn’t, Finn hears just about everything AND beyond.  _ They were fucked. 

“We last heard from her Thanksgiving night, when she left after dinner. When we didn’t hear from her throughout the weekend, we texted and called, but she never got back to us. She’s been like that since we got here this morning, but refused to tell us what’s wrong…”

The three of them pondered together for a while, brainstorming and trying to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong and how to fix it. 

“Poor Rey, huh?” 

The three friends looked up to see the gossip king himself, leaning against the wall with a coffee in hand, Poe Dameron. Without a word, they all exchanged looks then leaned in toward him, knowing fully that  _ if _ he had information it was likely accurate. 

Pleased that he had their attention, he smirked, leaning in and raising an eyebrow. “Rumor has it, poor Rey found Hux cheating on her with a  _ certain leggy blonde _ Friday morning,” he watched as everyone gasped in surprise, “but hey, you didn’t hear that from me.” He flashed a final tooth grin before sipping from his mug, giving a quick wink, and strutting away. 

Finn flushed at Poe’s action, looking around at his friends to make sure nobody noticed, eyes boring into the desk once he was convinced they hadn’t. 

Ben did and he shook his head in response.  _ God. They’re so obvious. _

They all sat quietly, fidgeting awkwardly after hearing the upsetting news until Rose spoke first. “Wow…”

“Yeah…” Finn managed to get out. 

Ben felt the rage building inside, but before the steam could inevitably shoot from his ears, he gripped the worn out unicorn squishy he had stashed on his desk. As suggested by his therapist, he squeezed the life out of the thing until his hand was shaking with force before releasing a heavy breath. In and out, he steadied his breathing, long and relaxed. 

“I’ve always hated that guy,” he finally choked out. 

Rose and Finn looked at him sympathetically, shaking their heads with half-hearted smiles on their lips. 

“It’s okay if you liked him, we all did. I don’t think any of us saw that coming,” Rose admitted. 

Ben scoffed, leaning back in his chair, continuing his assault on the innocent unicorn squishy. “I’m serious! That piece of garbage was never good enough for her.”

Both Finn and Rose’s brows shot up at that, but before they could see Ben’s face light up like a Christmas tree, he shooed at them with his free hand, growling out a, “Oh, fuck off. Leave me alone!”

He could hear them snickering to themselves and all he could do was curse them in his head. The embarrassment fizzled out as his eyes fell onto Rey’s slumped form again. He had to do  _ something _ , but what  _ could  _ he do? She wouldn’t even talk to  _ Finn _ about it. 

Before he knew it, he was on his feet, making his way to her, a nervous ball of yarn unraveling into a knotted mess within his stomach. 

He stood before her, contemplating what he should say. He didn’t dare to look at her, choosing instead to watch his brown loafers as he kicked at the carpeted ground, mouth constantly moving with anxious anticipation. 

“Why do you do it?” 

His eyes widened before shooting to look at Rey after she spoke. She stared dead ahead, eyes bloodshot from fallen tears. His heart raced when he realized he walked into a sudden mood change. Those weren’t eyes filled with grief, they were filled with a fiery hate. 

“Umm…” panic was  _ definitely  _ setting in. 

Her eyes finally shot up, boring into him like tiny daggers, eager for the kill. With a venomous bite, she repeated the words, “ _ Why  _ do you  _ do it _ ?”

He only frantically contemplated for a second on how to answer that question before she ranted on. “Men,” she scoffed, “why can’t they just talk about their feelings? Why do they go behind our backs and drive us so crazy? Couldn’t they just have the common decency to be  _ honest _ ?!”

He swallowed thickly, standing dead still, unsure of what to do or say. As tiny as the girl was, he was genuinely afraid she’d jump over the table at him like some kind of wild cat if he even  _ breathed _ her air. 

Slowly and carefully, he ran a hand through his hair before answering her. “We...we’re sorry?” He sounded pathetic, and he  _ knew _ he sounded pathetic, but what else could he say?

She let out a single chuckle before her rage dissipated before his eyes. Then the anger seemingly released in the form of a long, defeated sigh. 

She motioned for him to take the seat on the opposite side of her desk, letting her head fall into the palms of her hands. He did as he was told, quickly fumbling into the stiff office chair.

Finally looking up to him, Rey’s eyes met his, a sadness in their depths. “So...I take it you heard what happened?”

Ben scratched at the back of his head nervously, cautious in his attempt not to offend her. “Uh...yeah, I did.”

With a weak smile, she replied, “Poe really does have a knack for finding these things out, doesn't he?”

The both chuckled lightly, Ben’s with a hint of nervousness.

Twiddling his thumbs as the air remained dead silent between them, he finally pushed the conversation forward. Leaning forward, he looked her in the eye. “Rey, what happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Letting out a long drawn out sigh, Rey let her head fall back against her chair, rubbing a hand over her face tiredly. “I went over to Hux’s place to feed his cat Friday morning while he was away on a business trip. Well, he  _ wasn’t  _ away on a business trip. He was shacking up with Phasma from 18th floor.”

Rey’s lips began to tremble at the memory, tears aching to be shed, but she blinked them away. “I’m sorry. I even know why I’m so upset...I wasn’t even in love with the guy.”

Ben’s brow rose and he felt a deep-seated guilt as his heart raced at her confession. “You...you weren’t?”

Rey couldn’t help but blush, unused to airing her dirty laundry to others. “No...I really don’t think so. I feel like I’d know when I was in love with somebody...I guess I’m just worked up because of the list,” she half said to herself.

“ _ List _ ? What list?”

Her face grew an even brighter shade of red. “Oh, um, this is my first holiday here where I had someone to spend it with. There are so many things I’ve never done before, so I made a list...Hux was supposed to help with it.” She could feel her emotions warring in her chest again at the realization. “Now I don’t have anyone to help me with it.”

Ben wished so badly to hold her, even if it was just her hand. He eyed her hand, now placed on the desktop, licking his plush lips anxiously. He wiped his palm briefly against the leg of his pants before stretching it shakily toward hers.

Not even looking in his direction, she retracted her hand, using it to hold her head up again. She stared out the office onto the busy streets below, trying her best to avoid the overwhelming hurt in her chest.

_ Damn, _ Ben thought _ , I missed my opportunity. _

“You have Rose and Finn. They love and care about you. I’m sure they’d be more than willing to help you with your list.”

Wiping at shed tears, Rey forced a smile onto her lips. “Yes, you’re right. I can see what they can do with me before they go on vacation.”

_ Ah fuck...that’s right. Vacation.  _

Seeing Rey so broken up  _ did things _ to Ben. He just wanted her to be her usual bubbly self, and this was nowhere near it. 

“I’ll do it.”

Rey’s head snapped toward him, eyebrows creasing in confusion. “I’m sorry, what?”

He lifted his hand to his mouth before clearing his throat to speak again, “I’ll do it. I’ll help you with your list.”

Her eyes lit up and he swore he’d never forget the appreciation and excitement on her beautiful face. She leaned in toward him, a bubbly mess of joy as she reached out and took his hands in hers, a jolt of warm tingles climbing his arms.

Shuddering at the touch, both stared at the other for a brief pause. Then she pulled away, the warmth of her hands vanished and he found that they had fit so perfectly with his. 

“Do you mean it? You don’t even know how much that would mean to me!” Rey squealed, shuffling through her stuffed tote bag.

After many crumbled receipts, old appointment cards, and dusty pennies were pulled out, she finally grabbed it, a folded piece of Christmas themed paper. Eagerly, she handed it over, and he tried his best not to melt at the smell that came off it, the smell he came to associate with Rey; cinnamon and sugar. 

Opening it, his body froze, brain functions coming to a halt. The list was impressively large... _ intimidatingly large _ . He was flabbergasted, but when he peered up and saw the look on Rey’s face, he knew he couldn’t refuse her. 

“What do you think? Sounds fun, right?!” 

Her eyes sparkled, and all he could do was smile back with a crooked grin. “Yeah, it does. We’ll get started tomorrow. There’s lots to get done!” He rose from the chair and it felt as though he was having an out-of-body experience as his mind blanked and his body began to stumble away.

“Thank you Ben! Thank you so much!” Rey called after him.

He waved back in acknowledgment, the action completely subconscious as he finally reached his desk, eyes boring through it.

The only thought through Ben’s brain was,  _ Why did I agree to this? I hate Christmas! _


	2. Dec 3rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey put up Christmas lights!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For fettuccine_alfreylo and elle_vee! I hope all the ladies in the den enjoy the evil snowman Lolol

[](https://ibb.co/QbGxzmc)

**Dec 3rd**

“You got the stuff?” Ben whispered over Rey’s shoulder.

The work day was nearly done, and their adventure with the list was about to begin. As much as he dreaded the holiday season, he couldn’t help the bubbling nerves and excitement that grew in his gut.

Rey rose a brow, looking over her shoulder to give Ben an amused grin. “‘The stuff?’ It’s not like we’re dealing with drugs here,” she chuckled, “but yes, I did buy  _ the stuff _ , right after work, like you asked.”

He grinned sheepishly, running his hand through his thick hair. It seemed that his feelings about being alone with her at her house for the first time was getting to him.

“Ah, good...I’ll see you tonight then. Six sound alright?” His heart raced. Why did it feel like planning a date?

She rolled her seat around in circles a few times before stopping in front of him, the biggest smile beaming on her face. “Six it is! I’ll bring a pizza.” 

Ben nodded and went back to his desk, finishing up his work and packing up his things. He had a feeling it’d be a  _ long _ night.

*~*~*~*

“Oh dear God…”

Ben had strolled up Rey’s walkway after parking along her street. She had begun to pull out her Christmas decorations, prepared to show of her finds from the shopping trip the night before. There was one decoration that left him feeling...well, anything but jolly.

“What is that  _ thing _ ?” He grimaced, eyeing the plastic snowman, accompanied by his buddy, the penguin. 

Rey looked around a moment, trying to find the object that had offended him so. Finally following his intense stare, her eyes landed on the yard ornament, a smile spreading across her lips.

Leaning an elbow upon its head proudly, Rey stared at it affectionately. “What? This little guy? Isn’t he cute?! Some lady was giving him away for FREE. Can you believe that?”

Continuing to stare, he swore it would come to life and suck the soul out of him. It wore a creepy grin, crow’s feet at the edges of his eyes, and held hands with his much smaller penguin friend, who, by all means, was  _ clearly _ harboring the spirit of Satan. 

“Yes.”

Rey glared before waving him off dismissively. “Eh, well, he’s staying whether you like it or not. Now, come check out the rest of the stuff!”

_ I’m onto you _ , he mentally warned the snowman, attempting to intimidate it with his scowl. 

When he came to Rey’s side, he realized what a daunting task it would be to decorate her home. Her choice of decorations didn’t surprise him in the slightest; massive bulbs, multiple colors, and inflatable lawn characters. 

He held back the urge to grimace, always preferring the simplicity of tasteful white lights, but seeing Rey’s excitement made it much easier. 

Pulling out his staple gun, a smirk tugged at the corner of Ben’s lips. “Ready to get started?”

Clapping excitedly, Rey nodded, pulling lights from boxes and setting up the ladders. 

It became clear quickly that Rey had never hung lights before, her side of the house sloppy and sporadic. His side, on the other hand, was tidy and well-planned. 

They both climbed down from their ladders, stepping back to admire their work so far. As they looked, he caught her expression falling from the corner of his eye. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

A smile formed on her face again, a weak one, as her eyes wandered to find his before falling to the ground at her feet. “You’re a lot better at this than I am,” she laughed half-heartedly.

“I have years of practice and experience.”

“You have lights up at your house?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement, curious to know what it looked like.

“I...uh...haven’t decorated in years.” He hated talking about himself...and the holidays, so he climbed back up his ladder, trying to leave the subject there.

“Oh...well, whoever taught you did an amazing job.”

He froze in place, the subject a touchy subject for him. He sighed, choosing not to talk about it, but not ignoring it either. “Thank you...y’know, I can show you how. Maybe give you some tips...if you’re interested?”

He offered a small smile, staring down at the cheerful woman below, an eager grin playing on her beautiful pink lips. 

“Yes, please!”

“Alright,” Ben headed down the ladder, walking toward hers once his timberlands hit the concrete, “come on.”

She followed closely, he could almost feel her body heat against his back. He found he wouldn’t mind so much if he did.

He climbed the ladder first, thankful that, while it would be a tight squeeze, it was big enough for the both of them. He reached a hand down, offering to help her up and she  _ took it _ .

He had reached down instinctively, not thinking about the fact that they’d be  _ holding hands _ . He swallowed hard as she used his solid grip for balance, climbing up to meet him.

He hadn’t thought about how close they’d be, her face, her body, so close to his. He really  _ could _ feel her warmth this time, so inviting. Her legs pressed against his and her eyes met his with a sort of wonder that had butterflies tickling his insides. 

“I’m ready!” She announced with glee, bouncing up and down without giving it a second thought.

The ladder shook. Hands clapped together, she fell back without a grasp on something. Her eyes went wide in horror, a shrill squeal slipping her lips as her feet lost balance.

With quick thinking, Ben lunged forward, wrapping an arm around her waist. Once he had a good hold on her, he pulled her back up to meet him with caution. Pulling her flush to him, he continued to hold her shaking form, eyes never leaving hers. Their bodies clung together snuggly, breaths heavy with adrenaline.

“Thank you, Ben.” Her lashes fluttered, appreciation apparent through all of her features. 

Finally realizing he was  _ still _ holding her, he let go, avoiding eye contact. “It’s no problem, but try to be careful, okay?” His eyes came back to meet hers, waiting for agreement.

She nodded.

“Great. Now, hand me the staple gun, I’ve got some tips I want to show ya.”

Rey tried to ignore how good he smelled, how utterly  _ delectable  _ the scent was. His red and black flannel smelled of soap and something akin to a bonfire. As he shared his tips and taught her the ropes, his hand would occasionally land on hers. She had never been more thankful for the cold weather before as she had just then, the rosy tint to her cheeks easily mistaken as cold.

She found her heart racing unintentionally whenever he touched her, or she caught his scent on the chilled air. The thing that really got her heart beat going were the moments when he reached up to put a staple in, shirt lifting just enough to show a portion of his ‘v’ that disappeared into the waistband of his black jeans.

Making the final touches, they took in their handiwork one last time. Oddly enough, Rey’s home had an appearance of wearing a Christmas sweater; red, white, and green lights lit in straight lines.

Rey’s eyes welled up with tears. She’d done it. She had her own place, decorated in her own decorations, and it looked absolutely stunning. A shaky smile formed on her face as she turned toward Ben.

“Thank you so much for this, you have no idea how much this means to me.” 

He saw the way her eyes shone with unshed tears, tears of pure happiness. If he helped even a fraction to make her  _ that _ happy, it was all worth it. As his face went red, he found himself thankful it could pass as his cheeks being cold.

“Glad I could help. It’s a beautiful house you’ve got yourself.” He nodded towards it, admiring the two story building, much too big for just one person.

“It’s the first house I’ve ever lived in...it’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more.” All she could do was smile, so thankful for the life she lived now, and the people in it.

“Well, you certainly have good taste.”

They both stood in the middle of her yard for what seemed like hours, just enjoying the view, the crisp air, and each other’s company. 

As the night grew old, Ben knew it was time to leave, as much as he didn’t want to. He packed up his things, placing them in the back of his pickup before turning toward Rey, who walked him to his door. 

“Goodnight Ben. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome,” he said as he hopped into his truck, arm resting out the window, “Now, get some rest. We’ve got a tree to get tomorrow.” He offered her a warm smile before waving one last goodbye, starting up his vehicle, but not leaving till she was safe within her well-lit home.

The whole drive home, all he could think about was  _ her, _ and how Christmas lights weren’t  _ that _ bad. Maybe holiday lights and decorations  _ were  _ harmless...except for Frosty, Frosty is the devil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know! I always reply to my comments 💕

**Author's Note:**

> What did you guys think? Feel free to give feedback! I love replying to comments 💕 happy holidays and welcome to the month of December!


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